Zero to Hero
by Krisavengergurl
Summary: The world was against Zoey and her brother. Both were kicked out by their parents and were left to fend for themselves on the streets. Charles Xavier finds the teens and makes them an intriguing offer;one hard to pass up. Zoey is afraid and embarrassed of her powers while Jay is the opposite.Will they both learn to control their powers to help save the world?(X Men First Class)


**Hey everyone! It's me again! I'm back with another Marvel installment, this time for X Men! This story takes place during X Men First Class, which is the only X Men movie I've seen to date. I really really enjoyed this movie though and the idea popped into my head the second I saw the movie! Of course, it revolves mostly around my OC, which is no surprise for anyone who knows me! I'm not to sure about how good this story is, or if anyone will really like it or not, especially since I know so little about the X Men universe. So I decided to give this a shot. If I get good feedback on this chapter, I will continue. If not, this will be a stand alone one shot. So please please review or DM me so I know what to do! Alright, I'll let you all get on to the story! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OC's and the storyline itself, even though I wish I owned Marvel!**

I sat crouched in the dark, damp corner of the alley. Alone. It was well past midnight, and the full moon shone brightly in the October sky. A cool breeze flew through the air quickly, leaving me shaking, groping at my thin sleeves, and pulling my knees up to my crossed arms.

Ever since the Cuban Missile Crisis, as it was called now, started, people had been less and less generous with their donations. When they saw a two teenagers, abandoned, without any food and hardly any decent clothing, they would sometimes give us a few coins. Sometimes an old coat or a threadbare blanket. They pitied us. If they really knew what we were, what we are, they wouldn't.

My brother and I had both been thrown out by our parents. In all truth and reality it was our fault, so in the whole 3 months we had been out on our own we never complained or wanted to go back. Besides, our family never wanted to see us again. They made that very clear the night they found out...what we are.

Jay had been gone for hours now trying to find us food. He claimed he was the responsible adult just because he's eighteen, so he should be the one to try and find us food. In all truth and reality, I'd had to take care of both him, myself, and my parents so much that I was sure I was more responsible than him. But whatever. He could do whatever he wanted to.

Jay wasn't a complete idiot though. He left me with our only line of defense; a butchers knife we found behind a meat shop. It was rusted and dented in places, but luckily for us we hadn't had to use it for defense yet. My brother was the very over protective type, the type that told you you weren't allowed to date until you were married. He always carried the knife with him except for when he had to leave, which he hated. Jay knew I couldn't bear to hurt anyone ever again, not since...since the blow up. But at the same time he knew he needed to leave me with the weapon, just in case something were to happen. I told myself I wouldn't use it, that I'd never use it. And fortunately enough, so far, I didn't have any reason to. Until now.

This was an abandoned alleyway, the owners of the two shops both left Florida for safer states. They feared Florida would be the first state to be nuked if an attack happened. No one, in the two weeks that Jay and I had stayed, had come anywhere near this alleyway for any reason. No reasonable person would even be out at this time of night. It had to be at least one, if not two in the morning. Most people in Florida would be asleep in bomb shelters actually.

There were two strangers; the one of the right considerably shorter than the other. I could see their trench coats swirling in the wind, hear their boots quietly tapping through the dirt alleyway. Both of the men, I could tell by their short hair, were probably about ten yards down the alley. I sucked in a large breath of air and tried to shove myself further into the corner made by the shop wall and the dumpster. Maybe if I stayed quiet, made myself small, and didn't move, they wouldn't see me. They'd just walk past.

They came closer and closer, and when they were only a few feet away from me they started whispering to each other. I couldn't tell if they were looking at me or not, it was to dark to tell, but I could tell they were slowing down. I tried desperately to calm down and slow my breathing. I had to keep myself calm, keep myself in check. I couldn't hurt these people. I couldn't.

When the two men made an obvious turn to me, I slowly and carefully grabbed the hilt of the knife which lay by me on the ground. They moved forward until they were both right in front of me. If I thought the one on the left was tall, they were both giants to me now. They were menacing. Neither said a word, just stared, but still, I felt threatened.

"Stay back." I whispered as loudly as I could. It sounded like an undignified croak. I held the knife out in front of me, on my knees, blade pointed towards both of them.

One of them scoffed and moved his hand. I jerked back, thinking he was reaching for a gun or other weapon. As I did this, something pulled on the knife. Hard. I tightened my grip, but the knife was pulled through my fingers...by nothing. It flew up into the man's hand, blade now pointed towards me. I gasped in a huge breath of air and slammed my back against the wall. What just happened? This guy was going to kill me!

"Eric stop! Don't scare her any further." One of them demanded. He almost sounded like he was the leader, in charge. Eric grumbled unhappily and let the knife drop by his feet.

The one on the right knelt down in front of me, showing me he didn't want to hurt me. He slowly put his hands out, showing me he didn't have anything to hurt me with. Still I jerked back and hit my head on the on the metal of the garbage can.

He leaned forward slightly as he started to talk to me. "Hi, my name is Charles Xavier and this is my friend Eric Lensherr. I'm so sorry for that little act there. He didn't mean to scare you I'm sure. We aren't here to harm you. I promise." He said gently. This man, unlike the other, seemed kind and caring.

"We're like you. Mutants. Eric here controls all metal in whatever form. I myself am a telepath."

I shrunk back in fear. How did he know me? How did he know where I was? _What_ I was? He was obviously here to kill me. Or experiment on me. That's all anyone had ever wanted to do with people like me. People like _us_, apparently.

"Please _please_ don't kill me." I begged hopelessly as I tried to make myself smaller again. I begged not really for my sake, but for my brothers', and theirs. If my brother ever found the people that murdered me, they'd be good as dead too. I didn't expect them to know that, but I did. I wasn't trying to save myself as much as I was trying to save them.

"I swear on my life we aren't here to harm you." He replied calmly and soothingly back to me. He slowly put his hands back down to his sides.

"Then why are you here?" I asked. I wanted to believe Charles. He was nice enough, that's for sure. And as far as I could tell, they were both like me. Maybe they wouldn't shun me?

"We want to recruit you. We want you to help save the world. I have a group of other teenagers back at a CIA base. They're all eager to meet you."

Needless to say I was confused. Eager to meet me? How did "they" know me? How did _he_ know me? But the only thing I could mutter out was a "What?"

Charles looked at me curiously but kindly with his bright blue eyes that I could see even through the darkness. "One of ours, certifiably a genius, made a machine that amplifies my powers. It allows me reach to the minds of others like us at much greater distances than I normally would have been able to 'see' people at. That's how I recruited the rest of the mutants back at the CIA. You were the last person I specifically was interested in, so I told them all I would be off to find you. They're all ready for another member." He responded.

"Why me?" I questioned. That really was the only question that mattered.

He looked me in the eyes, his dancing, mine still and guarded, for a moment before answering. "I felt something indescribable when I saw you. I'm still not quite sure what it was, but it was something compelling. Something promising. I knew I had to come for you."

"Well I'm sorry to tell you, I'm probably here to disappoint." I responded while looking down at my shoes. It was true. There was nothing interesting, compelling, promising, good, or whatever else about me. His feelings were wrong.

"I don't believe so. Not at all. Why don't you prove yourself wrong and show me?"

I shook my head shyly, ashamedly. I hadn't been myself in a long long time. I was embarrassed of myself. I wasn't even sure I could be me without doing something wrong.

I felt a warm, soft hand under my chin. Instead of jerking back like I normally would have, I stayed still. I even let him tilt my head up so that I was looking at him instead of the ground and my shoes. He drew back as soon as I looked at him, making sure that I wasn't uncomfortable. Even though it was dark, it was a full moon, and his face shone brightly anyway; I could see him smiling at me comfortingly.

"How about this. I'll go first, show you my power. Then you show me yours. Deal?"

I nodded after a minute of consideration. If this guy wanted his head blown off, fine. I didn't really care. He should have known better than to ask me in the first place. He should have known I was dangerous. But he didn't. Either that or he didn't care.

Charles put two fingers to his temple and closed his eyes momentarily. After only a second of this, I _felt_ it. It was kind of indescribable, like someone was in my head. But it wasn't a bad thing; it didn't hurt or make me want to scream, it was just...different.

As soon as I felt his power he opened his eyes, looking to mine. Charles looked like a little kid at Christmas. Bright eyed, smiling, excited. Using his power seemed to make him truly happy. I wish I was like that.

"Zoe. Very pretty name, I like it. Most people call you Zoanna, the name your parents gave you. It annoys you, but you don't say anything because you can't hear to hurt anyone's feelings. You prefer Zoey or Zoe. From just scratching the surface I can see that you've been on your own for a while...but with someone else. Your brother, yes? Jay, correct? Your family kicked you out when they found out about...your powers, oh I'm so terribly sorry. At least we won't have to answer to them, eh?" He listed aloud.

If I wasn't convinced that he could read minds before, I knew for a fact that he could now. It was freaking me out quite frankly. Just as quickly as the feeling of him in my mind came, it went, and I could tell he was gone. He grinned at me reassuringly.

"Now you. Don't be afraid, you're with friends. You can show us." He patted my knee reassuringly.

Needless to what he said, I still was scared. I hasn't used my powers for over three months, I didn't dare to. I was too scared. Too embarrassed. He was kind enough to show me his powers, almost no mutant would do that to another stranger, and he really wanted to see what I could do. If he wanted it, he could have it. He was bound to be under impressed anyway.

I kept my eyes focused on the ground as I stood up slowly and unsurely. I walked around the dumpster and a little bit past it. I cleared my throat nervously and didn't raise my head. "Um, you might want to get back."

I stole a glance up and saw both of them standing where I was sitting earlier, behind the can. Hopefully that would be enough cover for them. I sucked in a deep breath. I hadn't done this in a long time, and I hoped nothing would go wrong like...last time. I breathed out shakily and flexed my hands. Here we go.

I focused as hard as I possibly could on the ground in front of me with my hands outstretched. As soon as I could feel the ground I clenched my hands. The ground starting to shake. Not too hard, but hard enough to move the buildings and make a sinkhole in the ground right where I wanted it.

Now I focused on heat and matter all around me. I focused deeply inside my own mind, thinking and thinking until I could feel heat around me. I snapped my fingers, then with my right hand threw seemingly nothing. But seconds later, a flame appeared in the center of the sinkhole. A small flame, but a flame nonetheless.

I focused on a different part of my brain, and also on cool matter all around me. When I felt the coolness surround me, I threw both of my arms out straight. Then, once again, only a few seconds later, water appeared in the hole. Only enough to extinguish the fire, I couldn't create much more than that. Steam rose up from the makeshift fire pit and into the air, mixing with smoke.

This time I focused on the air particles all around me. I felt them, felt their force, then gathered all of it that I could. I drew my arms back behind me, then threw them forward, forcing the air forward. Fast. The quick and strong wind not only blew the smoke and steam far away, it also blew up a partial dust storm. The dust settled only a minute later and I decided to raise my head finally, if only a little.

Charles's face was lit up. Eric's looked shocked to say the least. Eric followed Charles out from the shelter of the dumpster. Both of them started to clap as they looked at the damage I created. I was just glad I wasn't able to do any big damage today. It was probably because I hadn't used them in a while. I hated to admit it, but using them kind of felt good.

"That was absolutely incredible! I've never seen anything like you before. You control the four main elements don't you?" Charles exclaimed as he walked around the sinkhole I'd created.

I nodded. "I do. It's easier for me to control earth and air than fire and water since I actually have to create the fire and water. When I'm close to either of them though my powers work a lot better." I shuffled my feet and stared at the ground blushing.

The only one who had ever even cared about my powers was my brother, especially because he was just like me, a mutant. Even then, I didn't really talk to him very much about them. I wasn't comfortable with them. But Charles was so excited and accepting of them that it almost made me not ashamed of myself.

"That's amazing, really. Were you born with them? Or did something else happen?" He asked as he came to stand in front of me.

I shrugged. "You'd have to ask my brother that. He's older than me and remembers more than I do. I had a major concussion when I was about 5 or 6, so I don't remember anything before that. Jay would know though." I told him.

Charles looked back to Eric, who was right behind him. They exchanged a few glances before Charles turned back to me.

"Zoe, we want to recruit you for our secret initiative. You wouldn't have to live in fear, alone with only your brother. You could be with us. Be with people like us. You'd have a home, food, and people that love you and are your friends. So what do you say Zoey?"

I opened and closed my mouth for a while like a fish. I didn't know what what to say. Did I want to risk the lives of innocent people? Risk people seeing my powers? Who I really was? Or did I want to live life the hard way, the way I always had. The choice, unfortunately, was not simple to make.

I worried on my bottom lip before answering. "What about my brother? I can't leave him. I can't." I shook my head back and forth wildly. He was the last thing I had in the world.

"Zoe get back!" Jay yelled from behind me. He looked outraged, and I could tell by the way he was sprinting down the alleyway that he was outraged. He thought they were going to hurt me, I was sure, especially because he could see the damage I had created from earlier.

"Jay, stop!" I tried, positioning myself in front of Charles and Eric. It didn't stop him from from barreling forward. I could see his body shivering with anticipation of the oncoming fight.

He was only a few yards away now and picking up speed fast. "Jay stop!" I pleaded again. Only a few feet away now. "Jay, _stop now_!" I commanded, keeping my hands outstretched to stop him if he kept going coming forward.

He looked beyond reason still, but now he dug in his heels and stopped right in front of me. He slammed his fist into the wall right beside Charles. We all noticed the massive hole that he created with his hand. "Jay." I tried to reach for him.

Jay snarled as he tried to control his breathing, calm himself down. His eyes flashed dangerously at the two men, taking in the situation. I could tell he was still wary of the situation. After all, he had never met these people before. He didn't know what they wanted with me or with him.

"Easy there Jay. We're friends." Charles said quietly and calmly. It seemed to me like he was the peacekeeper, the level headed one who always made the right decisions and did all the talking.

I could feel his body inching in front of mine with every second that passed. He thought my brother was dangerous, that he'd hurt me. Jay was dangerous; it was kind of in his power, unbelievable strength mixed with his quick to act anger. But he would never, _ever_, hurt me. Jay had never even come close to touching me with his full strength, and because of this I wasn't scared of him at all. But nonetheless, Xavier felt the need to move in front of me and keep me protected.

"What do you want." He growled to both of them as he looked at me questioningly. I nodded to him, letting him know that it was okay to listen, and that they were trustworthy.

Charles launched into the same explanation he gave me, sparing no details. When the time came for Jay's power, he simply punched the garbage can in the center, ripping through the metal like it was tissue paper, then chucking the whole thing into the street, over a football field away. I saw both Eric and Charles smile to each other and nod.

"Your sister here already decided she wants to come with us, live a life better than the one she is now. What about you Jay? Are you ready to come with us?" Charles asked.

Jay looked at me for a moment, weighing his options. He looked conflicted. Obviously the choice wasn't too awfully easy for him either. He sighed after a minute and kicked the ground with his shoe.

"Even if I didn't want to, I couldn't leave my sister alone... Yeah, I'm in." Eric grinned and shook his hand, clapping him on the shoulder blades at the same time.

Charles turned to me at the same time and extended his hand to me. I took it. He grinned at me as well. Jay stayed by Eric while I stayed by Charles.

"Welcome to the real world." Eric said as the four of us walked down the alleyway.

**So? How was it? Love it? Hate it? In the middle? Please review or DM me and let me know because**** I WILL NOT CONTINUE**** if no one likes it! So let me know! **

**Also, if anyone has an Instagram and wants to follow me for updates about my stories, pics of Marvel characters, etc., my username is krisavengergurl! So go follow me if you want!**

**I love you all so much and I just want to let you know, if you're ever feeling alone or sad like Zoey was in the very beginning, or even if your scared or angry, DM me or message me on Instagram. I always love to hear from my followers and help anyone through any hardship they may be facing. Remember guys, I love you! Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

**Krisavengergurl**


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